Hereafter
by 8BonnieBlue8
Summary: What happens to Bellatrix and Rodolphus's daughter during the final battle? What is left of those she holds dear when the dust settles? This is a sequel to A Black Energy and the chapter is 5/5.
1. Chapter 1

Bellatrix hugged her daughter to her breast, making shushing noises as she jostled her back and forth. Across the room stood her husband, Rodolphus, her sister, Narcissa, and her sister's husband, Lucius, all with matching grim expressions.

She couldn't deal with this. So long she'd been yearning to go out and serve her Lord but she had a daughter now, a daughter who needed her . . . and a Lord who needed her too. How could she chose between them?

They were all going to Hogwarts and she needed to stay and she wanted to but at the same time she couldn't.

"Bella," Rodolphus began cautiously as though speaking to some feral cat on the street who could strike at any moment. "You should stay here."

Bellatrix shook her head, no, but regardless hugged the baby in her arms closer. The baby gurgled but didn't cry, no, she hardly ever cried. Such a quiet little thing it had nearly worried she and Rodolphus at first. But, no, there was nothing wrong with their little star; she was just quiet; born a little early but perfectly fine.

Blonde curls were already visible on the baby's head (a Rosier gene just like Narcissa's hair) and Bella smoothed her hand over them, breathing deeply.

"Bella," her husband persisted. Beside him Cissy quivered while Lucius just looked plain irritated.

She shook her head again, unable to speak just yet. The witch had to go and fight beside her Lord and her husband and her family but to leave her little star behind . . .

Bellatrix had finally reached the crossroads in her life and she had no idea what to choose. She loved her sister and her husband dearly but what it really came down to was Lord Voldemort and her daughter, the two most important people in her life.

"I have to go," she whispered, finally finding her voice.

"Bella," Narcissa began, always the voice of reason. "If you go who's going to look after your daughter?"

Bellatrix glared at her, unhappy that she'd added yet another problem to the boat load.

Her Lord needed her and she would certainly come but what to do with her daughter?

"I say we just drop her off with one of the house elves and go," Lucius suggested, clearly disinterested as he flicked his wand absentmindedly.

Everyone there looked at him with poorly concealed horror.

"You can't leave a baby all alone with a house elf in the time of war!" Narcissa protested aghast. "What if we don't come back?"

"Don't be silly, Cissy, of course, we're coming back," Bella interjected with an overconfident roll of her eyes.

Judging by the looks of everyone else in the room they didn't share her sentiment with the same amount of confidence.

"Cissy's statement is a valid one, Bella, we very well may not come back," Rodolphus told her softly in that way of his that always seemed to settle an argument or an upcoming one with her. "We need someone to look after her that should still be able to do so if the worst should happen."

Narcissa shifted where she was standing nervously and Bella eyed her suspiciously. "Cissy?"

"Well, there is someone," she began hesitantly, not really meeting her gaze, "someone who would likely help if we asked nicely enough, and I don't think she'll be fighting because I suspect she's already got a babe to look after while its parents go to Hogwarts."

Rodolphus and Lucius looked at her, utterly confused but Bella's eyes narrowed, already getting an idea of who she was talking about by just the tone of her voice. "Cissy . . ." she began, tone warning. "Who is this person?"

Once again the blonde woman shifted in a nervous fashion. "Andromeda."

Bellatrix let out a feral snarl making everyone around her jump slightly and the baby in her arms to let out a cry of protest. She ignored this.

"How can you even think that blood traitor suitable for the job?" she demanded, voice dangerously low. "And what if you're wrong and that pup's parents are still there? I suspect the wolf will go to the battle but that halfblood'll probably stay with her pup. She's an auror, Narcissa!"

"She won't be there," Cissy responded with the utmost certainty.

"Oh really, and why not?"

"Because you're not staying," she replied softly. "She's going to go to that battle because she loves Remus Lupin and you're going to go because . . ." she left the sentence hanging; no one ever spoke of Bella's rather absurd love for Voldemort (unless of course you were Snape) and that was not about to change.

Bella hissed, getting out through gritted teeth, "Be that as it may, I am not leaving my daughter alone with that blood traitor."

Bellatrix's blood boiled at the thought. She could never trust Andromeda with something as precious as her daughter, no; her sister had lost her trust a long time ago.

"Bella . . ." Cissy tried to reason but came up blank with anything more to say.

A silence fell over the group and she hugged her daughter even closer, careful not to crush her though.

"I know where we can take her," Rodolphus said suddenly, causing everyone in the room to spin around and face him.

"Where?" Bella asked, her eyes wide with hope.

"Just an old friend of mine, they'll take very good care of her," Rodolphus assured her for behind Bella's hopeful look was one of doubt and worry.

Bellatrix bit her lip uncertainly, glancing down at the baby. The flaxen hair Cissy so swooned over grabbing her attention like always. This was her _daughter, _something she'd never thought she'd have, and yet there was nothing to mark her as her own. The hair, the eyes all nothing like either she or Rodolphus, yet Bellatrix knew without a doubt she was hers.

Could Bellatrix give her up, just like that? There was a chance she and her husband wouldn't return (not that she'd ever admit it) and she'd never get to see just how much this baby was like them, despite the looks. If Bellatrix stayed then perhaps she would be able to see.

But, no, she could never do that. Not when her Lord (her love) was out there fighting a battle that Bellatrix could help him win.

After a pause she handed the baby to her husband after a gesture from him to do so. Rodolphus gave her a soft, comforting smile, aware of how much this pained her even if the others weren't, and then he was gone. Span around on the spot and dissaperated before she could take one last look at that daughter of hers. And that pained her more than she would care to admit. Maybe because at that moment she knew, knew that it would be the last time she looked on her little star.

Bellatrix Lestrange had never had good foresight and she inwardly cursed herself for its inconvenience now. For even if Bella had gone to the future and seen what was about to happen she still would have gone to Hogwarts anyhow.

With a sigh, she spun on her feet and dissipated to Hogsmeade and Lucius and Narcissa followed suit.


	2. Innocent is the Young

_Toys tossed on the floor _

_Hand prints on the wall_

_Slamming of the door_

_And footsteps down the hall_

_Boxes made into towers_

_Covers turned into tents_

_Voices get a lil' louder_

_Guide lines get a lil' bent_

_Boxes now go untouched_

_Covers in a folded pile_

_Silence never was so much_

_Guide lines never been n' awhile_

_Did we waste our time a way_

_We once had back then_

_Never taking time to play_

_To 'oft we walked right past them_

_Now they're grown and gone _

_The house stands still and neat_

_Only memories left to carry on_

_Oh, how our hearts do often weep_

_Would we change time if we could_

_Would we play a bigger part_

_Did we get to wrapped up in the world_

_For now we're left with just_

_Memories of the heart._

_Gloria Babb, MEMORIES OF THE HEART_

Narcissa stared at the body of her sister, glorious even in death. Dark hair fanned out around her pale, hollowed face that at least some beauty had returned to in the past few months. It was hard to see her so still when in life she'd always been an energetic little thing, bouncing around with fizzing energy that would always be just near ready to burst out and explode; so hard to see Bellatrix so still.

She had seen the curse that had struck her sister's laughing form, sent by Molly Weasley's wand, and seen the shock that had overcome Bellatrix's face. That had been the expression that Narcissa had expected to find when she approached the brunette's corpse–shock, horror–but there was nothing there. Her face was simply blank, no emotion in sight, and yet she looked oddly peaceful.

She found it ironic that just like Sirius (the cousin Bella had killed) Bellatrix would die laughing. Cissy was both pleased and saddened that the two cousins had kept their word. Long ago, back when they were all still friends and silly wars had yet to touch their hearts, Sirius and Bella had been giggling in the corner. Curious, Narcissa had questioned them only to receive the strangest of responses. Apparently the two had made a pact to die laughing seeing as such signs of foolish happiness were what pissed Aunt Walburga off the most and that way they could anger her even in death; for every time she looked upon their cold corpses she would see an amused expression. At the end of their explanation the two had promptly burst into laughter and Cissy had walked off bemused. The youngest Black daughter found nothing funny about their pledge but then again Sirius and Bella always had a rather strange sense of humour.

Sad, that while the two had kept their promise there was no Walburga around to pull a fit at their indecency; that there was no body to find the body of Sirius and see the laughter in his face; and that Bellatrix's own amusement had been washed away first by shock and then by nothingness. But they had died laughing, just like they had promised.

Narcissa bit back a sob and knelt down beside her sister's form. Death didn't suit Bellatrix, despite the peacefulness and how glorious she looked, it didn't suit her. She was too energetic and unsettled for something so final and still to suit her.

She brushed a curl away from her sister's face and bit her lip, fighting back a cry.

Bellatrix may have changed drastically over the years and perhaps not for the better but she was still her sister. Just like Andromeda, despite what the family tree said, was sill her sister too. Narcissa loved them both, Bellatrix a little more granted, but she loved them both. And she had lost both; Andromeda to a silly mubblood who now lay in a grave and Bellatrix first to Lord Voldemort, then Azkaban and now, much more final, death.

She sighed; there was no use sulking over things that couldn't be changed.

Still, she couldn't help but do so. Narcissa hated the war, hated everything about it. She did not believe there was a good enough point in which to fight for. She did not hate mudbloods enough in which to permanently dispose of them and she certainly didn't hate them enough to sacrifice her family. She despised them certainly, for that was how she'd been brought up, that was how she'd been made to think but she was also very much indifferent to them as well. They weren't worth it, none of it was worth it, and that's what Narcissa had thought many a times whilst lying awake in bed each night; not worth it.

This war had torn her family apart; the most important thing in the world to her had been destroyed all because of some pointless war that had changed _nothing_.

The witch grasped Bellatrix's cold hand, ignoring its limpness as she prayed for some sort of closure for her loss. All she had left were her husband and son and she feared that wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to lose every other member of her family and be left with only broken remnants of the one she'd made by herself.

She grasped Bella's hand tighter.

They'd been young once, Narcissa realized, young and foolish with little idea of what the future held.

Bellatrix had been beautiful and lively, flirting with whomever she cared and smiling for anyone who wished it (or didn't); she had been young and dangerously carefree but still innocent.

Andromeda had also been quite beautiful, the spitting image of Bellatrix herself but with chestnut curls instead of black. She was wiser and more caring but with a temper that scared Narcissa half to death most of the time and just amused Bellatrix who back then had loved Andromeda dearly. She had been young and innocent once.

Narcissa just like the other Black sisters had been beautiful too but in a delicate, light way just like the flower she'd gotten her name from. Once upon a time the blonde had followed her two older sisters around like a puppy dog, smiling at what they'd said and paying close attention to everything they did. She'd learnt a lot from watching her sisters but she'd learnt even more from the sweet, meaningful words they'd given her in-between hugs and kisses. Once, she'd been young too and innocent, foolish but innocent.

Sirius had been handsome, filled with enough arrogance to make his head topple over. He'd been Bella's best friend, before that Potter boy had taken that title in third year, Bella had been his best friend. He'd laughed a lot and fed Bellatrix's energy with fervour every chance he'd got. He'd been young once, troublesome and arrogant but nonetheless young and innocent just like the rest of them.

Rodolphus had been proud and gentle. Bellatrix's best friend after Sirius, Andromeda's lover before Tonks and Narcissa's haven in times of need. He'd been arrogant just like Sirius and perhaps that was what had drawn Bella to him, though he hid his a lot more carefully than Sirius. He'd been young and innocent once too, arrogant like Sirius and with a fondness for picking on first years, but young and innocent still.

They were all young once.

Crouched by the body of her dead sister, Narcissa wondered what it would feel like to be young again.


	3. Blood Ties

_'Tis said of love that it sometimes goes, sometimes flies; runs with one, walks gravely with another; turns a third into ice, and sets a fourth in a flame: it wounds one, another it kills: like lightning it begins and ends in the same moment: it makes that fort yield at night which it besieged but in the morning; for there is no force able to resist it. _

_Miguel de Cervantes_

Andromeda Tonks looked warmly at the baby in the cradle, her grandson. Not too long ago she'd received a visit from Minerva McGonagall detailing the deaths of her daughter and son in-law. She dared not cry though, not yet, she had things to take care of. Maybe later when everything was peaceful again she'd let out the tears she hadn't yet shed for her beloved husband for her daughter and hers. Perhaps later she'd cry for Teddy's lost parents. But not now.

Sighing, she swiped a caramel curl away from her face and leant down to place a kiss on Teddy's little head. Her grandson did not awake and she smiled softly, happy for the one mercy she'd been granted in this time of war. She may have lost everything but at least she still had her grandson.

Turning away from the crib she approached her bed, a mix of emotions crossing her face.

Plopping herself down gently on the mattress she reached out a hand towards the tiny baby sleeping centimetres away before withdrawing it again.

…

_The night before_

_Andromeda rocked the fussing baby in her arms. Moments earlier her daughter had left her son in the care of her mother and disaperated to Hogsmeade in search of her husband. Andromeda could not blame her for her decision, her son would be safe here so the only option for Dora had been to go and make sure that the man she loved would be safe too. The witch hoped beyond reason that they would both return safe and sound._

_There was a pop and Andromeda's head snapped up from Teddy's adorable face to be confronted by that of Rodolphus Lestrange's. Her mouth fell open in shock and she instinctively reached for her wand that was resting on the nightstand. She held it out in front of her protectively, eyeing Rodolphus with a mixture of shock and fear and also a tad of confusion when she saw the strange white bundle in his arms. _

"_I'm not here to hurt you, Dromeda," he assured her although refusing to pocket his own wand. _

_Andromeda eyed him doubtfully. "Then what are you here for? In my experience a Deatheather has only one thing on their mind when they show up at someone's house."_

_He sighed, looking all for the world rather tired and not at all in the mood to put up with her questions._

"_I'm here to ask you a favour."_

_She gazed at him in disbelief, clutching Teddy tighter to her chest as she did so. "A favour? You do realize we're on opposite sides of a rather tragic war, right?"_

"_Yes, of course," he replied briskly, seeming rather disinterested in the fact, "but I can't think of anyone else to turn to in a time like this. I assure you it's not something that ought to put you or your morals in danger."_

"_What is it then?" Andromeda asked after a pause, still eyeing him distrustfully and not lowering her wand even the slightest. _

"_Bellatrix and I are both going to the battle at Hogwarts, we need you to look after our daughter."_

_The witch nearly chocked. "Daughter?" When did this happen?_

"_Yes," he replied, nodding towards the white bundle in his arms. _

_Hesitantly she backed away from him towards the cradle in the corner and, not taking her eyes of Rodolphus, placed her grandson down into its safety. Slowly she approached Rodolphus and held out her arms, portraying only with her eyes what she wanted, and the Deatheater gently placed the bundle in her arms. _

_Eyes filled with wonder, Andromeda gazed down upon her niece. Blonde hair like Cissy's caught her eyes and she smiled softly; Bellatrix must have a thrown a fit over that. _

"_How old?" she asked, not taking her eyes of the baby in her arms. She felt quite confident now that Rodolphus wouldn't harm her, especially now that she held his daughter._

"_The same age as your grandson," he responded, nodding towards Teddy in his crib. "They were born on the very same day, ironically enough."_

_Andromeda's brow furrowed, taking in the size of her grandson and comparing it to her niece's. "She's small."_

"_Yes, well, she was born a few months early. Bella wasn't strong enough to carry her to full term, almost lost the both of them during the birth." His face darkened at the memory though his voice remained light._

_Andromeda frowned, unable to stop the worry that overcame her. Despite everything that had happened she still loved her sister and she doubted that would ever change. "But they're both OK?"_

"_Splendid, actually. I haven't seen Bella so . . . well, Bella, for many years now," he admitted, frowning thoughtfully. His gaze turned to her in an appraising manner as if debating over what was next to come out of his mouth. "She misses you, you know. Same as Narcissa, they both miss you. Not that Bellatrix will ever admit it, of course," he finished with a smile._

_Andromeda didn't say anything. After all, what could one say to something like that? She sighed and allowed Bella's daughter to play with a strand of her hair. She was a good deal quieter than Teddy, which seemed to contradict with her mother's personality – Bella had always been irritatingly loud. _

"_What's her name?" Andromeda asked, indicating the babe._

"_We haven't actually agreed upon anything yet, though lately we've been calling her our 'little star'."_

_She nodded absentmindedly and shifted the baby in her arms, memories of Nymphadora when she was just a babe coming back in a rush. She'd looked something like this, maybe not so small, but when her hair had decided to stay the colour blonde for more than a second she'd looked something like Bella's daughter. They had the same features really, not that you could really tell what features someone had when they were just a babe but still . . . there was something there._

"_So, I take it that you'll look after her for the time being?" he asked hopefully._

"_Of course," she responded._

_Rodolphus nodded. "Good, good. And Dromeda, I promise I won't hurt either Nymphadora or her husband. Can't say the same for Bellatrix, of course, she'll be on a warpath when I get there, may even kill a few Deatheaters if they get in her way enough."_

_She glanced up from the baby and her eyes zeroed in on her old love. "Thankyou," she whispered, truly meaning it._

_He nodded, smiling boyishly, and for a moment they were just students again at Hogwarts, smiling and joking about careless things but the moment soon passed and the present reared its ugly head once more. _

_The wizard approached them, ducking his head to plant a little kiss on his daughter's before rising and tracing a finger across her cheek momentarily. _

"_I never blamed you for leaving," he confided. "I would've done the same if it had been you."_

_Andromeda's breath caught at his words, the closest he would ever get to admitting he was still in love with her. Her heart of course would always belong to Ted but there had been a time when she'd cared about Rodolphus very dearly and the words meant something, not a lot, but something._

_Smiling slightly he backed away, raising his wand in preparation to disparate. "Oh, and by the way, you do look as beautiful as ever, Dromeda." He spun on his feet and disaperated with a pop. _

_Andromeda stared at the spot where he had been standing for a few moments before heading to her grandson's side at the sound of his cries. She ignored the tear that coursed down her cheek as she fussed over both babies. Her husband's death hadn't made her cry, she'd had to be strong for Dora after all, but always the reminder of her past and what she'd lost ripped the tears out of her; for she'd lost a lot. _

…

Andromeda smiled softly and finally reached out towards her niece, bringing the sleeping babe into the closure of her arms.

Some would say that she had the perfect revenge at hand, kill Bella's daughter just like her sister had killed her own. But that would give Andromeda no solace, Bella would not be around to feel the pain and not only did she have no wish to harm the child but she also had no wish to cause Bella any such pain, funnily enough. The woman had murdered her daughter and as much as she tried to make herself hate her it was not coming easy.

Still, whether or not she hated her sister, Andromeda would never be able to forgive Bellatrix for what she had done nor forget. And because of that she would not be able to continue looking after her daughter like Rodolphus had obviously wanted if the two of them should not have returned.

At least there was still Narcissa to turn to, the youngest of the Black sisters had not perished in the fight as she'd been assured by Minerva and would no doubt swell at the thought of taking care of Bella's daughter.

…

_The battle at Hogwarts, not long after Rodolphus's visit with Andromeda_

_Rodolphus searched the crowd at Hogwarts for his wife. Curly black hair caught his attention, swimming through the thousands of witches and wizards toward him. Instinctively he reached out and took the figure's hand – immediately knowing it was Bellatrix – and pulled her away into a slightly less populated area of the room. Bella looked up at him with wide grey eyes, so like her cousin Sirius's that it always caught Rodolphus off guard. Except for this time, no, there was too much going on to contemplate Bella's uncanny likeness to her favourite cousin._

"_She's safe. My friend agreed to look after her," he told her quickly, knowing they didn't have much time. Soon they would have to throw themselves back into the thick of battle and it was a very real possibility that they would never see each other again._

_Immediately Bella's face relaxed a little and she let out a relieved sigh. She turned to leave but was held back by a restraining hand from her husband. There was something he had to ask her, something he was suspicious about._

"_You know, you haven't once asked me who my friend is," he pointed out._

_She cocked her head to the side, contemplating his words. "No need, I already know. You took her to Andromeda." He watched, stunned into silence, as she skipped away, wand waving around her as she shot off random curses. _

_If she had known all along that he was going to take her to Andromeda then why did she let him? Honestly, he just couldn't keep up with her._

…


	4. Nothing

"_In the attic, a warhead no doubt burns. Everything is combustible. Faith burns. Trust burns. Everything burns to nothing and even nothing burns. [. . .] And when there is nothing, there is nothing worth dying for and when there is nothing worth dying for, there is only nothing." _

_Tim O'Brien, The Nuclear Age (p. 303), 1985_

It was three days after the battle at Hogwarts that Narcissa opened the door to her house to find her sister, Andromeda, standing on the doorstep with an infant in her arms. To say Mrs. Malfoy was shocked would be an understatement. Not four days ago she'd found the body of her dead sister and now she was face to face with the one she'd accepted to be lost long ago. And the baby in her arms was Bellatrix's; there was no mistaking that blonde hair and cherub face.

How had this extreme turn of events managed to take place? Narcissa was just as clueless as the next person. In fact, she just about fainted from shock right then and there. Clearly someone up there had it in for her.

"Andy…" the familiar nickname slipped off her tongue before she could stop herself.

Andromeda offered a weak smile and shifted the baby in her arms slightly. "Cissy."

After a moment's deliberation, Narcissa stepped aside and gestured inside her home. "Please, do come in."

It didn't matter that they hadn't spoken in over twenty years; that, until only a few days, ago they'd been at opposite sides of one of the biggest wars known to wizards and the like. In fact, Narcissa was quite sure that none of anything mattered anymore.

Too many scars had been left by the war for her to care about much of anything anymore. The fact that her sister had just shown up with her other dead sister's baby did little to bring about any kind of emotion other than shock and even that was soon gone.

Narcissa Malfoy felt like a hollow, broken mockery of herself and she was quite certain that there wasn't a thing in the world that could change that.

She'd lost almost everything because of that damn war. Her sister and her sister's husband had died in battle. Her husband, Lucius, had just been carted off to Azkaban again for his involvement in the Deatheaters and she'd only just managed to save her son a life sentence. But after a hearing on Saturday, it was likely he'd be living out the next at least five years with his father. The house that she prided herself in so much would soon be seized by the ministry, along with most of its possessions, and what little money she'd have left after all this wouldn't be enough to by her a small flat.

There really was nothing left for Narcissa Malfoy.

Hesitantly Andromeda followed her inside, taking in the flawlessly clean exterior.

She led her sister over to the dining room table in the next room, taking a seat and waiting for Andromeda to take one opposite her.

Her lost sister eyed her for a few moments, taking in the dirty hair that Cissy had once prized herself on looking strait and shiny, the dark circles under her pale blue eyes and the chalkiness of her skin.

"You haven't been sleeping well?" she inquired, letting a tad of concern slip into her voice.

"I can't," Narcissa stated simply. "Nightmares."

Andromeda's face visibly softened and she nodded in understanding.

For a while neither talked, both of them contemplating the drastic changes in their lives.

Soon, Narcissa had to look away from Andromeda, who's appearance reminded her far too much of Bellatrix. She had to wonder how her sister had done it every day, looking in the mirror and automatically seeing the sister who she'd abandoned (for that was how it was in both Narcissa and Bellatrix's mind) the sister who had spent 15 years in Azkaban, one who had murdered her own daughter and was now dead at the hands of Molly Weasley, the sister who had still loved her.

She then began to understand why, after Andromeda's departure from their lives, Bellatrix had stopped looking at herself in the mirror as much as she used to (and that had already been a limited thing), why it was often that Narcissa had to cast a repero charm on the broken mirrors and windows In Bella's room that had mysteriously shattered.

Narcissa knew without a doubt that if she looked like either Bellatrix or Andromeda as much as they did then she wouldn't be able to cope. Life was hard enough without a constant reminder of her losses.

"So, you were Rodolphus's friend?" Her voice was a low drawl, carrying much disinterest; she could hardly bring herself to care about what had happened to her niece anymore.

Andromeda nodded. After a pause she took a deep breath and it was clear she was about to state why she was there in the first place. "I can't continue to look after Bella's daughter; it's too painful for me, Cissy. I was hoping you would like to take her from here."

The blonde eyed the baby in Andromeda's arms for a moment before shaking her head; no. "I'm afraid I can't help you, Andromeda. Even if I wanted to take care of Balla's daughter it wouldn't be fair to the child. My family's been shunned from the Wizarding world. Lucius has been dragged off to Azkaban and Draco is currently being held by the ministry to await his trial. Any baby I raise, too, would be shunned."

Andy gapped at her. "Narcissa, I can't take care of this child, not after all Bella' done."

"Give her to someone who will raise her then, a friend of yours. Even a muggle if you have to. I doubt Bella would have cared all that much, she just wanted her daughter to be safe. Of course, that's not to say she probably wouldn't throw a hissy fit."

Andy flushed in the beginnings of rage. "What makes you think I give a damn about what Bella would have wanted? After all she she's done, she killed my daughter, Narcissa!"

"That may be, but she's still your sister," Cissy stated calmly.

"Who killed my daughter. Do you honestly expect me to overlook that? Would you, if it was Draco?"

The blonde stared at her for a moment, contemplating her question. "Yes, yes I think I would. I love Draco with all my heart but . . . I think I may just have loved Bella more." She paused. "She wasn't right in the head, Andy, hadn't been for a long time. I can hardly hold her responsible for all her actions. No, I place the blame fully on the Dark Lord. Bella was vulnerable and he manipulated her to whatever means."

Andromeda looked away in disgust.

"But that's neither here nor now. When I ask you to give this child a better life, I expect you to do it, not for Bella but for her daughter. Do you really want this baby to pay for the crimes she didn't commit? An innocent child?"

Andromeda sighed and looked down, shaking her head. "You always knew how to convince people."

Narcissa, taking that as an end to the conversation, rose to her feet and paced towards the door. After a pause Andromeda followed suit.

They didn't say goodbyes, didn't offer affectionate hugs. Too much had happened for them to 'over look', as Andromeda had said, and they weren't about to. They didn't make promises of seeing each other again and both understood that it was unlikely they would.

As Narcissa's eyes followed Andromeda's form down the driveway she felt no regret for the once again loss of her sister, she felt no sorrow for the fact that this was possibly the last time she would see her niece, the baby who had returned so much life to her dead sister's eyes.

She felt nothing, for as Narcissa Malfoy closed the door on that part of her life she came to a conclusion. There was no longer a Narcissa left to feel such things, for she had already begun to disappear. The next time someone was to lay eyes on her there would be nothing left to see, just a woman that ceased to exist.

Mrs. Malfoy may still have been alive on the outside but on the inside she was already dead. In the years to come she would receive the news of her husband's death after four years in Azkaban and the claws of death would finally take her completely.

When Draco arrived home after a five year sentence in Azkaban there was no longer anyone there to come home to.

Because for people like them, there were no happy endings.


	5. Happily Ever After Sort Of

Andromeda paced nervously outside Bill and Fleur Weasley's cottage, Bella and Rodolphus's child held protectively in her arms, quiet as ever; almost as if she was aware of her impending fate and, like Mrs. Tonks, was holding her breath.

Her grandson, Teddy, was being looked after by Harry Potter and his friends, Andromeda had thought it a good time for the boy to get to know his godson.

She sighed, wanting desperately to wring her hands like she usually did when she was nervous but unable to do so due to the baby in her arms.

Andromeda jumped as the door was suddenly pulled open in answer to her earlier knock.

Bill and Fleur stood there, taking in the bizarre scene in front of them. It was not every day that such an event took place and they were quite truthfully bewildered as to its meaning.

"Mrs. Tonks?" Bill started. "What are you doing here? I mean, not that you're not welcome or anything but," he glanced back inside the house, searching for something on the far wall. "It's seven in the morning."

"Oh, yes, sorry about that." Andromeda hadn't exactly checked the time before she left and felt guilty for disturbing the couple so early in the morning.

Fleur eyed Bella's daughter and curiosity filled her eyes. "Whoze ze baby?" she asked, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. It was clear that it wasn't Teddy for if it was, the hair on the baby's head would have been flashing all sorts of colours.

"Um, this," she shifted uncomfortably, "this is my niece, Bellatrix's daughter." She bit her lip, waiting for their reactions.

Their expressions were quite comical actually. Fleur's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she looked back and forth between the baby and Andromeda as though trying to find out one hell of an explanation with only the power of her eyes. Bill chocked in the background, almost falling over in his coughing fit.

After a few minutes a stunned Bill Weasley gestured for her to enter his house. "I'm getting that there's an explanation that needs explaining."

So she gave him one, told them everything she knew about the baby in her arms. Told them why she was there and what she wanted from them, all the while hugging Bella's only daughter close to her chest, Cissy's words replaying in her mind like a broken record. . . ._She's still your sister . . . I love Draco with all my heart but . . . I think I may just have loved Bella more . . . she just wanted her daughter to be safe . . . She's still your sister._

Andromeda shook her head, clearing her thoughts and returned to the conversation at hand.

"So, will you take her?" She wrung her hands nervously, something that she could now do thanks to the fact that Minnie Bella was now in Fleur's arms, currently being doted over. "She could be just like your own daughter. She even has Fleur's hair."

"Oz course, swee will zake 'er," Fleur said before Bill could even think about answering. She gazed down at the babe lovingly and Andromeda knew she could not have found a better mother.

But there was still Bill left to decide and she turned her apprehensive stare on him.

The eldest Weasley rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking it over.

"I don't see why not. I think if anything we've learned from this war is that blood doesn't matter. It would be hypocritical to turn Bellatrix's daughter away because of it." He smiled fondly at Fleur and the baby. "And you're right she does have Fleur's hair."

Andromeda smiled too; happy that she had found an appropriate home for her niece and that finally she may just be able to move on from her past.

…

Only a chosen few ever knew Bill and Fleur's daughter's true identity, mainly a few Order members who could be trusted to keep the fact to themselves and not judge. Narcissa knew and on the rare occasions when she wasn't in her dark abyss of the world she would visit and Fleur would welcome her in with open arms and the two would discuss babies and the like. It was a surprise to everyone that when Andromeda and Narcissa's relationship was not rebuilt that a Weasley would soon become Mrs. Malfoy's closest acquaintance. Bill was always a little edgy about the fact that someone who had despised his family for years had become his wife's best friend and would have been his daughter's godmother (if not for Mrs. Malfoy's flat out refusal so the honour was passed onto Molly) but that was just how it was. The dead look never did quite leave Narcissa's eyes though and there was little Fleur could do to stop the events proceeding Lucius Malfoy's death.

And so Victoire Weasley was born. And although there were many things that confused the girl – like the fact that Aunt Narcissa and Andromeda always called her little star (their faces often sad when they did so) when they had no reason to, and that her once blue eyes soon turned a shade of charcoal and that there were no pictures of when she was a little baby just out of the womb – Victoire never did learn the truth of her heritage and died a Weasley through and through.

Still, there were times when Andromeda looked upon her biological niece and saw traces of her sister living there; in fact, she was exactly like Bellatrix when her mother was just a girl. Surprisingly, this did not fill Mrs. Tonks with sadness but with hope and a sense of reminiscent happiness. Perhaps this time Bella would get it right and have her happily ever after; through her daughter. There was no war to thwart her this time around, after all.


End file.
